Page 345 - the-iliad

find Ajax, the two of us would fight Hector and heaven too,
if we might only save the body of Patroclus for Achilles son
of Peleus. This, of many evils would be the least.’
While he was thus in two minds, the Trojans came up to
him with Hector at their head; he therefore drew back and
left the body, turning about like some bearded lion who is
being chased by dogs and men from a stockyard with spears
and hue and cry, whereon he is daunted and slinks sulkily
off—even so did Menelaus son of Atreus turn and leave the
body of Patroclus. When among the body of his men, he
looked around for mighty Ajax son of Telamon, and pres-
ently saw him on the extreme left of the fight, cheering on
his men and exhorting them to keep on fighting, for Phoe-
bus Apollo had spread a great panic among them. He ran
up to him and said, ‘Ajax, my good friend, come with me at
once to dead Patroclus, if so be that we may take the body to
Achilles—as for his armour, Hector already has it.’
These words stirred the heart of Ajax, and he made his
way among the front ranks, Menelaus going with him. Hec-
tor had stripped Patroclus of his armour, and was dragging
him away to cut off his head and take the body to fling be-
fore the dogs of Troy. But Ajax came up with his shield like
wall before him, on which Hector withdrew under shelter
of his men, and sprang on to his chariot, giving the armour
over to the Trojans to take to the city, as a great trophy for
himself; Ajax, therefore, covered the body of Patroclus with
his broad shield and bestrode him; as a lion stands over his
whelps if hunters have come upon him in a forest when he
is with his little ones—in the pride and fierceness of his

The Iliad